Monday, May 14, 2012

Sherlock first aired in 2010 and impressed us with it's contemporary style. Sherlock managed to keep the essentials from Sir Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" and mold it into the 21st century. Sherlock Holmes' intelligence and skills in observation is still applicable to today but now with the help of technology. Being complete literary geeks, we were excited to see how the characters would be represented in the modern world. This series has already aired on BBC but is only just being aired in America on Masterpiece Theatre.

"A Scandal in Belgravia"

The scene opens where the last season ended. Sherlock is introduced to Moriarty, the ever elusive arch-enemy. In a pool room Sherlock, Watson, and Moriarty find themselves caught in a stand-off. Sherlock has his gun drawn towards Moriarty while his own back is covered with red dots from unknown snipers above. Suddenly, and rather humorously a phone tone goes off. "Stayin' Alive" -- how appropriate, because the call certainly was life saving.

Moriarty answers and the unknown person tells him a reason not to kill Sherlock Holmes. What the reason is, we are left to wonder. We see a clip of woman turning off the phone. Dressed in see-through lace and holding a whip, she enters a bedroom where another woman is tied to a bed. This obviously is recreational and not a hostage situation. Thank goodness we have a limited view of what is going on.

Time passes and Sherlock seems bored. As Sherlock works a number of smaller mysteries, John keeps a blog that becomes popular.

One case that catches Sherlock's attention is that of the man who faints in their kitchen. "Boys, you've got another one" Mrs. Hudson screams, part surprised and part in disgust from cleaning a nasty fridge filled with strange items such as severed thumbs.

This man explains that he was stuck in the middle of the country with a car that broke down. The exhaust pipe back fires creating a loud noise. Soon after he turns to see a hiker laying dead by the river, his head bashed in.

John arrives at the crime scene with Sherlock on skype. Obviously Sherlock didn't feel like "getting out of bed," reminiscent of Bruno Mars' "Lazy Song." Completely naked under a sheet, he directs John around the scene making observations along the way.

Around this time Sherlock is visited by two men asking him to put some clothes on and go with them to an unknown area. John also is directed to get into a helicopter and arrives in Buckingham Palace.

Upon entering a room he sees Sherlock, still in his sheet, sitting pretty. The absurdity of the scene causes the two to laugh and wonder why they were in a house of royalty.

Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) enters and with the air of annoyance scolds his younger brother for his lack of reverence. The new potential client's representative also enters. Sherlock decides he's not interested even before the introduction to the case has been given. Mycroft stops him by standing on the sheet forcing Sherlock to sit and listen, of course after getting dressed.

The two men tell them about Irene Adler, or "The Women" a professional dominatrix. This woman has the possession of compromising photos of an unnamed female in the royal family. Mycroft informs Sherlock that Miss Adler doesn't want anything but has merely has the pictures. Sherlock notices this as a power play and immediately is intrigued.

The next scene shows both Irene and Sherlock preparing to meet each other. Irene predicts Sherlock's visit and begins searching for the perfect outfit. In the mean time Sherlock befuddles poor John as he throws on different disguises. I love how useless this is because in Irene knows who he is and what he looks like.

In the cab, we can't see what disguise Sherlock chooses because he has covered it with a coat and scarf, but we all know it sure to be hilarious.

The cab stops two blocks away from the final destination and John wonders why. Sherlock tells John to hit him. When John says he won't, Sherlock punches him causing John's military instincts to kick in. Hahaha, I love these two!

Anyways, back at Irene's place the door rings. Her assistant answers to see Sherlock on the screen pretending to be a priest who was recently attacked. John then walks in soon after and introduces himself as the doctor. How convenient. The assistant shows John to the kitchen and Sherlock is led to the waiting room where Irene enters...

....In her birthday suit. Sherlock has trouble reading her because well... what can you read? Irene proves herself to be incredibly intelligent and as we learn later is always a step ahead of him. Irene flirts with him explaining that "brains are the new sexy," causing Sherlock to stumble on his words.Watson insists she puts a coat on. She catches both John and Sherlock off guard when she asks about the hiker who was killed by the river. Sherlock changes the subject and returns to the business of the photos and John is sent out of the room to guard the door.

When John leaves Sherlock begins to explain how he knew that the hiker was not murdered. Irene asks why he is not looking for the photos and Sherlock explains that he has time to burn. Sherlock takes Irene to the scene of the crime and how it happens. He states that sound of the backfire is the key to the mystery. Suddenly the fire alarm goes off.

John is shown creating smoke from a magazine. "When hearing a smoke alarm the mother would look toward her child" Sherlock says as Irene glances at the large mirror.

Sherlock raises the mirror showing a safe box. He wonders about the code but is disturbed by some rather boorish Americans wielding guns and John in tow.

With the Watson under gunpoint, Sherlock is forced to figure out the code. The American almost hits three when Sherlock stops him and enters a code. With a breath of relief he opens the safe, but as a split decision he crouches down and shouts what we have to guess to be a code word. Watson ducks and the thug behind him is shot by the booby trap in the safe.

Sherlock and his two comrades fight off the thugs in the moment of confusion. Sherlock runs out into the street and shoots three times into the air, summoning the police. Adler inside is shocked to discover that in the confusion Sherlock had snatched the item in her safe which appears to be a cell phone.

She confronts him and he admits openly he took the phone and wonders at the password. She claims that she would die before giving this to him, she explains that the cell phone is her protection.

They walk into her bedroom and she distracts him and jabs him with a syringe. As he is lying on the ground she tells him that she wants him to remember her as "The Woman Who Beat Him."Watson is asured that it will only make him sleep. She then says that she was wrong about him, he does know where to look and that the code to the safe was her measurements.

Cheeky Sherlock.

Speaking of which, Sherlock is having rather surreal experience due to the drugs. In a hallucination he sees Irene Adler answering the riddle of the hiker. While it is all in his mind, she is the one explaining the situation.She explains that the hiker was hit by a boomerang and the sound was disguised by the backfire of the car. "You got that from one look? Definitely the new sexy..."

Sherlock (literally) falls out of the scene and into his bed. In a dream he sees Irene returning his coat. He wakes up still wobbly and finds his coat hanging on a hook. An orgasmic sigh goes off in his coat pocket and his phone lights up. Oh brother, Irene certainly knows how to keep a guy hooked. Sherlock wobbles over to his coat and pulls out his cell phone. Irene has sent him a text: "Till the next time, Mr. Holmes."

Time passes and the texts continue on Irene's side. Sherlock merely reads them and tosses them to the side. Oh, Sherlock, can't you give a girl a break?

Sigh...

Christmas is here and the mood is festive. The boy's apartment is filled with friends including Inspector Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson. Mycroft sadly was forgotten. Molly arrives dressed to the nines and I wonder if she feels uncomfortable in her formal dress, as I always feel when I go to a party in clothes I'm not used to. I would also like to point out that I sympathize with this lady because I myself am a Molly Hooper.

Sherlock decides to be a pain in the ass and plays his little game of observation, predicting that Molly is meeting a special someone after the party. He has deduced this because the present at the top of the bag is wrapped well and the wrapping paper matches her red lipstick. He also horribly states that she has thin lips and small boobs.

He reads the note on the present and sees that it is for him. Instantly Sherlock feels sorry and apologizes, kissing her cheek.There is a feeling of awe in the room. I'm guessing Sherlock doesn't apologize that often. Maybe he is human. The text alert goes off "Sigh" and a very shocked Molly tries to convince the others that it wasn't her. Hahahahahaha... the. best. part. ever!

That text says "mantle piece" and when he checks he finds a gift wrapped in red with a black cord. Sherlock brings the box to his room and opens it. Inside is her phone. Sherlock remembers that she would die before losing her phone. Sherlock calls his brother and tell Mycroft that he thinks Irene will be found dead.

On Christmas day, Sherlock arrives at the morgue with Mycroft. Poor Molly is there also explaining that Irene's face has been and that it might be difficult to identify her. Sherlock asks to see the rest of Irene and immediately knows it is her. Poor poor Molly. She wonders how he knows from "not her face?"

Sherlock mourns in her own way. By not eating, trying to unlock the phone, and playing the violin.

John leaves the apartment. He is greeted by a lovely lady dressed in black. John believes that Mycroft is sending for him again, and gets into the black car. When entering a warehouse he talks out loud to Mycroft who turns out to be Irene. I knew it!!! How did Sherlock miss this one?

John tells Irene to tell Sherlock she is still alive. When she agrees and sends a text. That ever so sensual sigh goes off. Sherlock had followed him. So, now he knows.

Sherlock returns to the apartment to find the door had been forced open. He sees the marks on the wall and his eyes grow dangerous as he envisions her being dragged up the stairs while crying out his name. Sherlock enters the room where Mrs. Hudson is crying between Bossy Boots American and his King Kong Thugs. Sherlock checks on Mrs. Hudson and observes the marks on her wrists, the ripped sleeve, and a cut on her cheek. There is blood on Bossy Boot's ring. The American had hit her! Big mistake. The thugs are sent away and when Loud Mouth checks Sherlock for a gun Sherlock sprays him with an aerosol can, knocking him out.

Sherlock adorably runs over to Mrs. Hudson cooing and asking if the old dear is alright.

Watson comes home to Sherlock sitting with Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock is pointing a gun at the tied up American. He asks a concerned Watson to take their beloved caretaker downstairs while he deals with the Big Baddie.

When John and Mrs. Hudson leave Sherlock makes a phone call to the police. He reports the break in and says that though they are fine the burglar seems to have sustained some injuries, from falling out a window. At this he turns to stare at the American with a look that could make a soldier wet himself.

Cut to: Mrs. Hudson and John watch from the kitchen window as the American falls with a thump onto her trash cans.

There is a rather satisfying moment when the chief inspector comes to investigate the break in and comments on how beat the burglar was, asking how many times the burglar fell out of the window. Sherlock says it was a bit of a blur and he lost count. Ha.

Watson and Mrs. Hudson are still in the kitchen after the paramedics
pick up the injured American. Sherlock joins them and is shocked when he
hears Watson telling Mrs. Hudson that she should take a vacation. He
says that's a load of hew-y. It turns out Mrs. Hudson hadn't been so
shaken up after all. We see that the reason the Americans didn't find
the phone at the house was because Mrs. Hudson had sneaked it. Sherlock
says if Mrs. Hudson left, England would fall.

Sherlock investigates the cellphone and find small amounts of explosives that will go off after how many tries of the password.When he get home he finds Irene Adler sleeping in his bed.

Alder appears because she has a problem. Someone is trying to kill her. No kidding. She's a walking landmine.Over the course of the conversation Sherlock learns that this is more than a few compromising photos. On her phone is a code she downloaded from one of her clients while he was "tied up." Sherlock takes a look and quickly knows exactly what it means.

The code stands for the a scheduled plane flight. As Sherlock wonders over what it means, Irene sends the answer to Moriarty, who then sends a message to Mycroft. Cut to Mycroft who looks as though Moriarty just told him his cat died. Mycroft obviously had something planned for that flight.

Sherlock wonders over the code and it's connection to something Mycroft had said. Irene changes the subject and takes his hand in hers asking him if that night was the last night would he go to dinner. Mycroft's lackey walks in and Sherlock tells Irene that it wasn't the end yet. Mycroft's lackey gives him a plane ticket.

Sherlock heads for the plane. The airplane is filled with dead people. Mycroft appears in front of Sherlock. He explains that the government had discovered the plans of a terrorist attack. They filled the plane with dead people so that terrorists would think their plan worked but without the loss of innocent lives. Mycroft states that this can no longer happen.Moriarty has already informed the Terrorist cells. Sherlock blames his staff but Mycroft breaks it to him. Sherlock's been duped. By a beautiful women. Ding Ding Ding, the lights go off in Sherlock's head. Irene enters, proud of herself.

Irene threatens Mycroft with more secret information and photos on her phone. She presents him with a list of her demands. But Sherlock has figured it all out before she can leave. He knows now what the password is: SHER for I AM SHER LOCKED. He knew she had feelings for him by her elevated heart rate, something he measured when she held his hand. Irene is no longer safe under the protection of her phone.

Time once again passes and John sits with Mycroft in a cafe. Mycroft hands John a packet of information about Irene. He tells John that Irene is dead; beheaded after being taken captive by a terrorist cell. He would rather John tell Sherlock that Irene is safe in America under the witness protection program.

John returns home and relates the false information to Sherlock, that Irene is in America and he will never see her again. Sherlock looks through the cellphone that was also in the packet. The last message she sent to him was "Goodbye Mr. Holmes."

Cut to: Irene kneeling under an armed man. One man allows her to send a last message. She chooses Sherlock. After sending the goodbye text she closes her tearing eyes, giving in to her inevitable death. A man behind her raises a sword. Black out.

"Sigh"

Irene hears the provocative sigh and her eyes flutter open. Standing above her is Sherlock holding the sword. Thank God! He tells her, "When I say run, run." He then turns around and uses the execution sword to fend of the terrorists. Irene smiles, overwhelmed with emotion.

Back to the present. Sherlock stands by the window and smiles, flipping the phone in his hand."The woman," he says,"THE woman."